Ghana, UAE sign $1bn Accra innovation hub deal
Ghana is set to benefit immensely from a newly signed $1 billion deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to build a cutting-edge innovation hub in Accra, solidifying its ambitions to lead Africa's digital transformation.
The agreement, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Ghana's Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation and the UAE's Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), marks a significant milestone in Ghana's push to become a continental AI hub.
Fully funded by PCFC, the innovation hub will span 25 sq km in Ningo Prampram, Greater Accra. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027. Ghana will provide the land, while PCFC brings the capital, technology, and global partnerships.
Sam George, Ghana's Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, signed on behalf of the government, while Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman of PCFC, represented the UAE.
According to George, the initiative reflects President Mahama's vision of transforming Ghana into Africa's next artificial intelligence nerve centre through the 'One Million Coders' programme.
'As you train a million coders, you need to have jobs for these coders, and that is where PCFC comes in,' he said. 'Having the innovation hub built in Ghana, PCFC will come along with the over 11,000 companies that are under their umbrella in the UAE to have a Ghanaian presence.'
PCFC is instrumental in the digital transformation of Dubai and currently operates over 11 innovation hubs in collaboration with global tech giants like Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM. With no current footprint in Africa, Ghana's strategic location and skilled youth population made it a natural choice for PCFC's first continental hub.
'Ghana, being the gateway to Africa, reached out to the company to establish the hub,' George added. 'The facility will attract all the big top tech companies in Ghana. So our Business Process Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, AI Engineering, and all the new emerging technology fields will be positioned here in Africa.'
He emphasised that the hub would prioritise local talent, employing Ghanaians trained through the coders programme rather than importing foreign skillsets.
Bin Sulayem underscored the broader significance of the project: 'The wealth of a country relied on its new ideas or innovation to advance the needed growth for sustainable development.'
He reiterated PCFC's long-term commitment to Ghana, promising that the partnership would not only boost technological capacity but also generate thousands of jobs.
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